“Psycho” Alt Poster by Laurent Carbonelle!
I hope you dig this alt Psycho poster by Laurent Carbonelle as much as I do. You can see more of Carnonelle’s art here.
“Red River” (1948) directed by Howard Hawks, starring John Wayne & Montgomery Clift / Z-View
Red River (1948)
Director: Howard Hawks
Screenplay: Borden Chase, Charles Schnee based on The Chisholm Trail from The Saturday Evening Post (1946) by Borden Chase
Stars: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan, Coleen Gray, Harry Carey, John Ireland, Noah Beery Jr., Paul Fix, Hank Worden and Mickey Kuhn.
Tagline: In 25 Years, Only Three! “The Covered Wagon”, “Cimarron” and now Howard Hawks’ “Red River”
The Plot…
Thomas Dunson (Wayne) wants to start a big cattle ranch in Texas. He plans is to travel there with his friend, Nadine Groot (Brennan). Once Dunson has the ranch up and running he will send for his fiancée, Fen (Gray). Although Fen wants to ride with Dunson to Texas, he tells her she should stay with the slower but safer wagon train.
That night Dunson and Groot are attacked by Indians. They fend off the attack and on one of the dead Indians Dunson finds a bracelet he had given to Fen. Dunson and Groot discover that the wagon train was wiped out. The sole survivor being a young boy named Matthew. Dunson adopts the boy and they head to Texas.
Fourteen years pass, Although the ranch has been successful, unless Dunson can sell his herd, he will lose everything. He decides on a massive cattle drive that will cover hundreds of miles through badlands. As the group makes their way things go wrong. They face stampedes, gunfights, thievery and more. With each setback, Dunson becomes more tyrannical. When Dunson threatens to kill any man that attempts to quit the drive, Matthew has had enough. If Matthew challenges Dunson’s authority, one of both may die. But enough is enough.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Most people don’t realize that Red River was the feature film debut of Montgomery Clift. Red River was filmed before, but released after The Search.
Red River is Howard Hawks first western!
This is the only movie to have both Harry Carey and his son in the cast. Sadly, they had no scenes together. This was Harry Carey’s final film. He died before Red River was released.
John Wayne and Montgomery Clift did not care for each other off screen. Their politics were diametrically opposed. Wayne thought Clift wasn’t manly enough. Clift that both Wayne and director Howard Hawks worked too hard at being macho. Still, the team created a classic western by putting those thoughts aside and doing the work.
Some folks nitpick that Clift wouldn’t last long in a fight with John Wayne, but they often forget Wayne’s character had been shot prior to the fight. If I were to pick a nit, I might say that the film’s resolution comes too easily. But Red River is too good a ride to complain.
Red River (1948) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Sly Stallone as Jack Carter by Gary Shipman!
Gary Shipman is a self taught artist and writer. Shipman has been nominated for Eisner, Harvey and Russ Manning awards. When I saw that Gary Shipman was regularly doing sketchcard (and other) commissions on WhatNot, I decided to try to get one. As you can see above from Shipman’s riff on Sly Stallone as Jack Carter, I succeeded. And he nailed it. Look for more Gary Shipman art here in the near future!
You can see more of Gary Shipman’s art at his webpage, his Instagram page and on his Whatnot stream.
Twilight Zone’s Most Disturbing Episodes
Robert Vaux at CBR.com posted his choices for the 10 Most Disturbing Twilight Zone Episodes, Ranked. Before you click over to read his thoughts, here is how my rankings (using just his choices) compare.
“Let Me In” (2010) directed by Matt Reeves, starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz & Richard Jenkins / Z-View
Let Me In (2010)
Director: Matt Reeves
Screenplay: Matt Reeves based on Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono, Elias Koteas, Dylan Kenin, Chris Browning, Ritchie Coster and Dylan Minnette.
Tagline: Innocence dies. Abby doesn’t.
The Plot…
Owen is having a bad year. His recently divorced parents don’t have much time for him. He has no friends and is being bullied at school. Then one winter evening he meets Abby. She’s twelve, too. Abby is strange, but nice. Abby lives with her dad in an apartment across the way. Abby doesn’t go to school. Each evening Owen talks to Abby before he has to go in for the night. Although the bullying at school is getting worse, Owen and Abby are starting to like each other more than friends.
What nobody knows is Abby is a vampire.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Let Me In is a remake of Let the Right One In, a 2008 Swedish film directed by Tomas Alfredson with a screenplay by John Ajvide Lindqvist based on his novel LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Matt Reeves directed Cloverfield before taking the helm of Let Me In. He would go on to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; War for the Planet of the Apes; and The Batman. I thought Cloverfield was good, Dawn and War for the Planet of the Apes, very good and The Batman, even better. Let Me In may be my preference of all of his films.
Stephen King called Let Me In his favorite film of 2010 and named it “The best American horror film in the last twenty years.”
Matt Reeves deserves much of the credit for the success of Let Me In. He creates moody scenes that he lets play out. There are special effects but they are used sparingly and effectively.
Kodi Smit-McPhee was an excellent choice to play Owen. Chloë Grace Moretz is perfect as Abby, the vampire who has been 12 for a very long time. Richard Jenkins was a surprising choice to play “father”. I loved the suspense of his scenes when he went out at night alone. Dylan Minnette made a great bully.
I put off watching Let Me In for a long time because of the kid being bullied and girl who is a vampire story made me think it’d be more for teenagers. I was wrong. I look forward to repeated viewings of Let Me In (and I plan to seek out Let the Right One In).
Let Me In (2010) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Marv by Ricard Pace!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is a character I love seeing drawn by different artists. The one above was created by Richard Pace. You can see more of Pace’s art here.
“Blade Trinity” (2004) starring Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds & Jessica Biel / Z-View
Blade Trinity (2004)
Director: David S. Goyer
Screenplay: David S. Goyer based on a character created by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan
Stars: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Parker Posey, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Purcell, Jessica Biel, John Michael Higgins, Paul Levesque, Françoise Yip, Michael Anthony Rawlins, James Remar and Patton Oswalt.
Tagline: He’s fought the forces of darkness alone…until now.
The Plot…
When Blade (Snipes) is captured by the police, Hannibal King (Reynolds) and Abigail Whistler (Biel) rescue him. They then recruit Blade to join them in their efforts to wipe out all vampires. Blade learns that the Vampire Nation has reawakened Dracula (the original vampire) and they plan to use Dracula’s blood to increase the powers of all vampires, Blade joins Hannibal and Abagail in a fight to save the human race.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
After recently watching Blade II (which I love), I decided to give Blade Trinity another viewing. It wasn’t as good as I remembered and then I had rated Blade Trinity 3 of 5 stars. I think my lower rating is due to Ryan Reynold’s snarky comments. They may have seemed fresh when I first saw Blade Trinity, but it seems that’s what Reynolds does in every role. It’s grown stale for me.
From all reports the production of Blade Trinity didn’t go well. Snipes was reportedly upset with choices Goyer was making. Snipes also felt that too much time was given to Reynolds and Biel at the cost to Blade. I agree.
Blade Trinity (2004) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Justified: City Primeval” | Season 1, Episode 6 Trailer – Adios
A botched kerfuffle sends Raylan’s pursuit of Mansell into chaos. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu. Subscribe now for more Justified: City Primeval clips: http://bit.ly/SubscribeFX
| Visit Official Site https://fx.tv/JCP
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
RIP: Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, born Jaime Royal Robertson, died yesterday from prostate cancer. Mr. Robertson was 80.
Robbie Robertson began playing in singing groups that he formed right out of high school. His most famous group, The Band, served as opening act for Bob Dylan before going on to become one of the most influential groups of the era. The Band made the cover of Time magazine in 1970 due to their impact. Eric Clapton loved their music so much that he offered to join their group. His offer was politely refused. While in The Band, some of the songs Robbie Robertson wrote included “The Weight”, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, and “Up on Cripple Creek”.
Robbie Robertson would go on to have a solo career. He also branched out into film as an actor, soundtrack composer and producer. Mr. Robertson shared many collaborations with Martin Scorsese including The Last Waltz (1978), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Casino (1995), The Departed (2006), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
Robbie Robertson is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame along with other members of his group, The Band.
In 1980, Robbie Robertson co-wrote and co-starred in Carny with Jodie Foster, Gary Busey, Meg Foster, Kenneth McMillan, Elisha Cook Jr., Tim Thomerson, Bill McKinney, Bert Remsen and Craig Wasson. I saw Carny back in 1980 and really enjoyed it. I felt it was very underrated. Had he wanted to, Robbie Robertson could have had a career as an actor.
Robbie Robertson, along with his son Sebastian, and friends Jim Guerinot and Jared Levine co-authored Legends, Icons and Rebels: Music That Changed the World. Mr. Robertson wrote Hiawatha and the Peacemaker with illustrations by David Shannon. Mr. Robertson also wrote his autobiography Testimony.
Our thoughts and prayers go our to Robbie Robertson’s family, friends and fans.
Robert McGinnis’ Censored Art for “Dr. No”!
Tony Stella shared this on his Twitter feed and I thought it was interesting. The bottom art by the great Robert McGinnis was used to promote James Bond in Dr. No. Compare it to the top art and you can see how it was censored prior to use. Bond is given shorts. The lady isn’t as well endowed and what she has is better covered. Also note the changes in her face. In the top art she seems to enjoy her, uh, job at hand much more. ; )
“Blade II” (2002) directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Wesley Snipes and Ron Perlman / Z-View
Blade II (2002)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay: David S. Goyer based on a character created by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan
Stars: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Tony Curran, Daz Crawford, Samuel Le and Marek Vasut.
Tagline: In A World Beyond The One We Know, The Forces Of Darkness Fear One Man…Blade!
The Plot…
A new breed of vampire, called “Reapers” have appeared. The Reapers are primitive, mindless killers, with a need for blood. Their bite can mutate both humans and vampires into Reapers. When it becomes clear that the Reapers are targeting vampires, Eli Damaskinos, the Vampire Overlord proposes a truce with Blade. Damaskinos wants Blade to lead his vampire assassins in an effort to wipe out the Reapers. Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the group of vampires originally assembled to kill him.
Of course not all is as it seems.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
I was not a fan of the original Blade. I am a huge fan of Blade II. I love everything about it. It’s got a fun story. The Reapers have a cool design. The vampire team that joins Blade have unique looks and personalities. Wesley Snipes was born to play Blade. Guillermo del Toro understands what makes this type of film work. I’ve watched Blade II multiple times and like a good vampire, it always sucks me in.
Blade II (2002) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Heart of Stone” starring Gal Gadot – The Final Look Trailer is Here!
HEART OF STONE is “rip-roaring action” and “adrenaline-fueled espionage with twists and turns.” Don’t miss Gal Gadot as Agent Rachel Stone, “one of the most exciting action heroes of our time,” along with Jamie Dornan, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Alia Bhatt in HEART OF STONE. Only on Netflix August 11.
“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” – The Poster & Trailer are Here!
The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.
John Byrne Vintage 1979 Wolverine!
Man, John Byrne could do no wrong back in the day when he drew this Wolverine sketch. I followed every comic he did for years/decades. Loved his Fantastic Four, Superman, and others… but his work with Chris Claremont and Terry Austin on The X-Men was the best!
Source: The Bristol Board.
“Psycho” (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View
Psycho (1960)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Joseph Stefano based on Psycho by Robert Bloch
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Frank Albertson, Patricia Hitchcock, Vaughn Taylor and John Anderson.
Tagline: The picture you MUST see from the beginning… Or not at all!… For no one will be seated after the start of… Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest shocker Psycho.
The Plot…
Marion Crane (Leigh) in a moment of weakness steals $40,000.00 from her boss. She packs her bags and heads off to meet her lover (who has no idea of what she has done). It’s a long drive so Marion decides to spend the night at the Bates’ Motel. The motel is located off the main road in a remote location. There’s no one else staying there. The place is run by mild mannered Norman Bates who takes care of his invalid mother who lives in the house on the hill.
She should be safe for one night…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
After reading the Robert Bloch novel, Hitchcock bought the rights to the book and lobbied Paramount Pictures to get the film made. The studio didn’t have faith in the material. They agreed to a small budget ($800,000) if Mr. Hitchcock would defer his salary ($250,000) and instead take 60% of the gross. It worked out well since Hitchcock ended up making about $15 million!
I love that the movie starts out as a crime film and turns into a horror movie. What other movie has the “lead” actress killed off about an hour in? The top billed actor, Anthony Perkins, doesn’t even appear until about 30 minutes into the film.
Hitchock loved the score by Bernard Herrmann so much that he reportedly doubled Herrmann’s salary. Hitchcock also planned to have the shower scene appear as a silent sequence. After seeing it with the score Herrmann created, Hitch decided it worked better with music.
Anthony Perkins gives a master class in acting when questioned by Martin Balsam.
Simon Oakland shows up for one scene and it’s impact reminded me of Alec Baldwin’s in Glengary Glen Ross.
Psycho is another of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics.
Psycho (1960) rates 5 of 5 stars.
